


When The Child Goes Bad

by Luv_Bowie_Luver



Series: Baby Universal [2]
Category: David Bowie (Musician), Science Fiction - Fandom, Senjou no Merry Christmas | Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence | Furyo (1983)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-29
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-20 07:42:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 9,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3642225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luv_Bowie_Luver/pseuds/Luv_Bowie_Luver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>War, what is it good for?<br/>What if Jack hadn't been taken home to the stars by his real mother?<br/>Ripped away from his adoptive mother at a young age, Jack has been forced into military life. Being locked away for 300 years alone in the dark has messed with his young mind. He is unhappy, trained to kill and still learning the human ways. When he meets two friendly soldiers named Sierra and Jen, things start to turn around for Jack but it's not over yet - The worst is still to come.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Map

**Author's Note:**

> Jack is a mixed character.
> 
> He is an alien.
> 
> His name is Jack Celliers and he looks like and talks like Major Jack Celliers from the film 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' (David Bowie) but he is not the one from the film, I made him up but based his appearance on the one in the film :)
> 
> Please read 'Baby Universal' before you read this one or it won't make sense!

The sky was black with the smoke of so many fires, it was hard to breathe and if you didn't choke to death then you were destined to die some other way. In this place, the deafening sound of relentless bombing shattered the nerves of even the hardest veterans. Gunfire, grenades, airstrikes, tanks, minefields, tripwires - the destruction was devastating.  
  
  
The soldiers at the front were growing more disheartened by the day, they were losing - and they knew it. Safe in his office back on the homeland, General Pavone slowly opened a drawer that had been locked for over 300 years.  
  
  
"I never actually believed I'd ever need to resort to this," he said in a flat tone, the defeat in his eyes told of his desperation.  
  
  
"What is it?" asked his friend, another General by the name of Tyrone.  
  
  
General Pavone took out a box and blew off the dust, wiping at it with a cloth.  
  
  
"It's supposed to be a map," he replied, carefully opening the box and taking out a folded up piece of paper.  
  
  
"To where?" asked Tyrone, watching General Pavone gingerly unfold the paper.  
  
  
"A secret weapon," replied Pavone, "only to be used in the face of certain surrender."  
  
  
Tyrone's eyes grew wide.  
  
  
"Surely it hasn't come to _that_?" he cried in disbelief, "we may be backtracking a little, but we're not licked yet!"  
  
  
"Still your tongue!" Pavone scolded Tyrone, "we're losing ground by the hour, we'll be overrun before the week is out! We'll have no choice other than surrender."  
  
  
Tyrone pursed his thin lips, but said no more about it. They stared down at the obviously old map, studying it silently until they had figured out the location of the only thing that could save them now.  
  
  
"Is it still there?" asked Tyrone.  
  
  
General Pavone gave a heavy sigh, sitting back and lighting up a cigar.  
  
  
"We can only hope that it is," he replied, "and that it still works... Whatever it is!"


	2. Dark Days

300 years earlier...

 

It was a clear night at the cemetary, Jack took out his ball and sat it beside his mother's headstone. He was aware of the soldiers that had come for him long before they arrived, his eyes lifted to greet them in his silent manner; but they did not smile at him.  
  
  
"Is it time to go back already?" Jack asked them, as they both took an arm each and hauled him up, "you guys sure know how to sweep a man off his feet... _ouch_!"  
  
  
They pulled him roughly to a jeep and forced him into it, taking him back to the base he'd started from. Jack stood before his original Commanding Officer, General Capers.  
  
  
"Jack, I am aware that you have no incentive to return to the army," General Capers told him, eyeing him warily, "now that your mother has gone, I can't see any reason why you'd want to stay, either."  
  
  
Jack stared at him in silence, he knew they had nothing on him and couldn't threaten him anymore. Nothing was stopping him from simply walking out, except his curiosity.  
  
  
"I'm not going to make anymore threats, Jack," Capers told him, "I think you and I are above such tactics... Besides that, the war's over. We won - Much thanks is owed to you."  
  
  
Jack's expression did not change, of _course_ they had won; how could they lose with _him_ around?  
  
  
"The time has come to place the artillery and weapons back into storage," Capers told Jack, "until next time."  
  
  
Jack knew they could not hurt him, but they had managed to discover ways of knocking him unconcious for short periods of time during their random tests they had performed on him. This thought alone made him nervous while in their presence, but he never showed any outward signs of how he felt.  
  
  
"That leads us to you, Jack," Capers slowly stood up and Jack heard the door lock shut behind him.  
  
  
He tensed, fully alert and ready to defend himself if he felt the need to do so.  
  
  
Capers walked around Jack, circling him like a vulture.  
  
  
"What do we do with you?" he asked, "we can't have you running about town now, can we? Too dangerous!"  
  
  
Jack knew this, someone had only to say a trigger phrase and the results could be devastating.  
  
  
"We can't afford to untrain you," Capers went on, "then have to retrain you when the next war starts, though God-willing that will never happen! But, just in case it does; we are going to need you to stick around."  
  
  
Jack was very keen to hear how they were going to try and convince him not to leave, it was sure to be a laugh at the very least.  
  
  
"You don't say much, do you, son?" asked Capers.  
  
  
Jack glowered at him.  
  
  
"I am _not_ your _son,_ sir," he snarled back.  
  
  
Capers nodded.  
  
  
"I understand you're unhappy with me," he said patiently, "however, you're going to have to continue doing as I tell you."  
  
  
Jack inclined his head, brow furrowed and eyes hard.  
  
  
"How's that, sir?" he asked, "what's stopping me from walking out of here right now?"  
  
  
Capers smiled at him like a snake, his beady eyes glinting in the dimly lit office.  
  
  
"Because if you don't," he said evenly, "we shall dig up your mother's remains and desecrate them in the worst ways you could ever imagine!"  
  
  
Jack couldn't believe his ears, he stared long and hard at General Capers; trying to decide if he was serious.  
  
  
"That's disgusting... even for a _human_!" he spat, finally. So much for _not_ threatening him...  
  
  
Capers kept smiling, knowing he had Celliers in a corner and so he needed to be careful now.  
  
  
"Take Major Celliers to his _new home_ ," Capers instructed the two soldiers who had brought Jack here, "you know what to do."  
  
  
They nodded and Jack let them drag him out of the office, he was thrust into the jeep once more and driven for hours to some very remote location. Once there, he was taken to a bomb shelter that was made of something incredibly strong. He was led down into it, then he turned to watch the soldiers leaving.  
  
  
"You're just going to abandon me here?" asked Jack.  
  
  
One of the men turned and looked at Jack, a sympathetic kind of sadness in his eyes.  
  
  
"Orders sir," he replied softly, "all weapons are in lockdown."  
  
  
And with that, he was locked into the bomb shelter in total darkness.  
  
  
Jack walked over to a corner and sat down, _surely they were only joking?_  
  
  
He curled up and waited, perhaps they would come back for him in a day or so...


	3. The Secret Weapon

300 years later...

 

 

There was a sound.  
  
  
There hadn't been any sounds for a long time, except for the ones he made himself.  But this was a different kind of sound, Jack opened his eyes and looked towards the door.  
  
  
_Could it be?_  
  
  
Yes.  
  
  
It was slowly being opened and he could hear voices on the other side, complaining about the rust and stiffness of the heavy door. Jack watched in amazement as the door was finally opened, first it was just a crack and then it creaked and groaned as it was forced open further. His eyes were blinded by the sudden sunlight that flooded into the shelter, his face turned away and his hands came up to shield his vision.  
  
  
Outside, there were several armed soldiers staring at him nervously. They had been told that there would be a secret weapon inside this bomb shelter, so they were quite surprised when all they found was a man sitting on the floor of an otherwise empty room.  Pointing their rifles at him, they slowly entered the shelter and approached Jack; who squinted up at them calmly.  
  
  
"He's one of us," said the closest soldier, "I recognise the uniform... A little out of date though... "  
  
  
"What's your name, soldier?" came the gruff voice of the next man.  
  
  
"Major Jack Celliers, sir," Jack replied, "and if you're room service, you are _extremely_ late... "  
  
  
He was surprised at the sound of his own voice, he hadn't heard it for so long and it cracked a little because his throat was very dry. They all fell into a hushed silence, for there had been rumours of such a name but the stories were all believed to be untrue.  
  
  
"Can you stand?" asked the gruff voice.  
  
  
Jack shook his head, lowering his gaze. He hadn't been able to get up for quite some time, hunger setting in slow enough but he'd been unable to do anything about it.  
  
  
"Bring him outside," said the gruff voice, "if he is who he says he is, we've just won the war, boys... "  
  
  
Jack's eyes closed at the mention of war, _not again_...  
  
  
Two soldiers helped him out of the bomb shelter, they got into their vehicle and drove for a very long time. As they drove along, the soldiers in the back offered Jack some bottles of water; which he accepted readily and drank until he could hold no more.

He felt a little better, but the hunger gnawing at his tightened stomach was getting harder to ignore now that he was out among people again.


	4. Jack

They were greeted with strange expressions as they escorted Jack into a high level building, his legs still too weak from hunger to walk on his own. He was taken directly to the office of General Pavone, who was waiting with General Tyrone.

  
  
Their eyes fell upon the man immediately, as he was ushered into an office chair and he sat watching them in silence. They did not look at all surprised to see Jack, as they had discovered his files within the box shortly after they had sent for him.  
  
  
"You don't look a day older than your photos," Pavone remarked, holding one of them up to compare it with Jack, "incredible, it's dated more than 300 years ago... "  
  
  
Jack blinked in disbelief now, he was aware that it had been a very, very long time but he had no idea it'd been a whole 300 years!  He coughed, trying to come to terms with it.  
  
  
"Did they get my good side?" he smirked, not wanting them to know he was unnerved.  
  
  
"First off, let me begin with an apology," Pavone told Jack, "trust me, if I had known you were down there, I'd have pulled you out ages ago. My name is General Pavone and this here is General Tyrone... "  
  
  
Jack was still reeling from the shock revelation, 300 years was a long time to be forgotten about...  
  
  
"I can assure you this will not happen again," Pavone was saying, "don't worry about the end of _this_ war, Jack. We will look after you, what happened to you 300 years ago was unforgivable."  
  
  
"300 years," said Tyrone, "I'd have gone mad in a _week_!"  
  
  
Jack turned his gaze calmly to Tyrone.  
  
  
"But I am not you, sir," he replied quietly, "I am _better_."  
  
  
Tyrone frowned, he didn't like people saying they were better than he.  
  
  
Jack looked at Pavone now, there was only one thing on his mind at the moment and he couldn't concentrate on anything else until the matter was dealt with.  
  
  
"I'm hungry, sir," he stated firmly, his eyes trailing down the General's body, "I... I need to eat, sir... "  
  
  
General Pavone smiled at him, but shifted away nervously just the same.  
  
  
"That's good," he nodded, seating himself at his desk, "I'll have you taken directly to the front, I'll send word of your arrival... There'll be _plenty_ to eat, don't you worry about _that_... "  
  
  
Jack averted his eyes, lowering his head in compliance.


	5. Battle Front

Less than half a day later, he was laying in the long grass alongside a handful of soldiers who were struggling to keep a foothold on the area. They had been told to give but one order when Celliers arrived, the sight of his arrival along with several other soldiers gave them renewed hope.  
  
  
"Go get 'em, Jack!" the command was given almost instantly, it took him a moment to register just what he was being asked to do; then his eyes flicked to the source of the conflict.  
  
  
Just across the field, it wasn't far at all but he was weak from hunger. He got to his feet, his knees almost buckling underneath him but he forced them to move. The promise of a meal was incentive enough right now, any raw meat would have done but living flesh was far too irresistable. Jack made his way quickly across the open field, many brows shooting up in amazement at the sheer madness of it all. But nothing seemed to hit him as he went along, then he vanished into the treeline and all hell broke loose for the enemy troops...  
  
  
Only when the ringing in their ears told them that the entire valley was silent, did the soldiers finally dare to cross the field after Jack. Slowly advancing, as though thinking it was some sort of ploy to get them out into the open; the soldiers eventually came across the aftermath of Jack's frenzied attack. As usual, a lot of them turned away to vomit violently and drop to their knees. Jack sat against a tree, blood stained his face and clothes but he was unscathed.  
  
  
His eyes were sort of glazed, but alert as he watched his fellow soldiers lose _their_ lunch simply because _he'd_ had his.  
  
  
The bodies were mostly intact, chunks missing here and there but his venom from the spikes along his spine turned their flesh rotten and vile quite quickly. They were twisted into violent positions, scattered around like a child's playthings after a wild tantrum. Jack slowly got to his feet, licking his fingers with a mad kind of gleam in his eyes.  
  
  
"Where next?" he asked, looking to the highest ranking soldier for his new orders.


	6. The Minefield

The next day, Jack found himself standing in front of a group of soldiers who were keen to get moving but there was just one problem.  
  
  
"There's a minefield in the way," said the company's Commanding Officer, pushing Jack towards the open ground, "we don't have time to pick our way through it, so _get moving_!"  
  
  
"Well," said Jack, gazing down at the ground, "since you asked so _nicely_... "  
  
  
Jack had been through a minefield before, but only in practice with loud bangs and puffs of smoke whenever he stepped on one.  That one had been safe and fake, this one was real and dangerous. He wasn't keen to find out what was going to happen, but he moved forwards just the same and hoped for the best.  
  
  
The first mine he stepped on was a surprise, it exploded and knocked him down to his hands and knees - but he was fine after a moment of ringing in his ears and he got back up again. It was about half an hour later, but he'd finally cleared a safe path through the minefield for the soldiers. There wasn't time to show them where the mines were, one at a time and get them through that way. So stepping on them was the only way, defusing them would take too much time - so would removing them carefully and safely.  
  
  
They patted his back as they walked by him in single file, thanking him and telling him he'd done a great job. Jack looked down at his leg, a dull throb unsettling him enough to furrow his brow.  
  
  
Was this... _Pain_?  
  
  
He wasn't too sure, he hadn't experienced a great deal of it in his life until now, so it was still quite a new sensation for him.  
  
  
He slowly followed the company to their post, sitting down and watching them set up base camp for the next week or two.


	7. Romantic Evening

Night was falling rapidly, Jack was given a place to sit and keep watch for any enemy activity and someone was being given some instructions so that they could go on watch with him without causing trouble. Shortly after dark when everyone was getting ready to go to sleep, Jack was scanning the horizon for any signs of trouble. Someone sat down nearby, he didn't give them the slightest hint of notice but she knew enough about him now to know he was aware of her presence.  
  
  
"It's a beautiful night," she finally spoke to him, after he failed to even glance her way just briefly.  
  
  
Jack now turned his gaze to her, looking her over for a moment before looking back to the dark hills ahead of them.  
  
  
"My name's Captain Thompson," she tried again to engage him in conversation, "but you can call me Sierra... You know, if you want to... "  
  
  
Jack did not answer her.  
  
  
Sierra had to watch his body language very carefully, the warning signs were subtle at first and she needed to warn the others as soon as possible.  
  
  
"Actually my friends call me Cricket," Sierra told him. Jack looked right at her now, a slight frown upon his face.  
  
  
"Cricket?" he asked her.  
  
  
"It's because I never stop talking," Sierra blushed, "they say I'm like a chirping cricket, so it's kind of my nickname now."  
  
  
Jack sighed, shaking his head at the thought of being stuck with a chatterbox all night.

  
  
  
"It's really such a lovely night," Sierra went on, getting a little closer to Jack, "kind of _romantic_ , don't you think?"  
  
  
Jack's expression went blank at the word, struggling to remember what it meant but unsure if he'd ever actually learned that one yet.  
  
  
"Ro-.. _What_?" he asked at last.  
  
  
"Romantic," Sierra repeated, getting closer still, "don't you agree?"  
  
  
Jack didn't like how close she was to him, he shifted a few inches away from her but she just kept coming closer to him.  
  
  
"I don't understand," he told her, frustrated.  
  
  
"Just look," Sierra told him quietly, "the moon is so big and round, the stars are twinkling brightly, the night is so _mysterious_... You're a man, I'm a woman... "  
  
  
She was so close to him now that he felt her body pressing against his, her head now resting on his shoulder.  
  
  
Jack was not at all pleased with the situation, he needed to concentrate on keeping watch but all she wanted to do was talk and talk and talk and talk...  
  
  
"Sierra," Jack said her name and she shivered with a smile, looking up at him hopefully.  
  
  
"Yes?" she asked.  
  
  
He turned to her, gazing into her eyes.  
  
  
"Have you ever heard of _personal space_?" Jack questioned her, making her feel quite foolish and a little awkward.  
  
  
"Sorry," she mumbled, moving away from him a little.


	8. Clueless

He rolled his eyes and looked back out into the darkness, clearly annoyed and not hiding it from her. His head snapped around quickly and Sierra tensed up, but it was just her friend coming over.  
  
  
"Hey Sierra," she sat down with her, "I couldn't sleep, mind if I sit here for a while?"  
  
  
"I don't mind, Jen," Sierra replied, "I could use someone to talk to."  
  
  
Jen glanced over at Major Celliers, then looked back to Sierra.  
  
  
"You know, I heard he's spent a lot of time in isolation," she told Sierra, "maybe he just needs to brush up on his people skills a little... "  
  
  
Sierra smiled slightly.  
  
  
"That explains a lot," she admitted, "thanks."  
  
  
"No problem," Jen patted her shoulder, "he's cute. I don't blame you for talking to him. I'd totally _do him_ if he asked me to... "  
  
  
" _Jen_!" Sierra hissed, her face turning red, "he's sitting _right there_!"  
  
  
Jen shrugged.  
  
  
"He doesn't know what I'm on about," she told Sierra, "word is, he's _totally_ clueless."  
  
  
"No way," Sierra looked at Jack, who was not paying them any attention at all.  
  
  
"Someone who looks like _that_ has to have a girlfriend," Sierra said firmly, "or two or three... "  
  
  
Jen shrugged.  
  
  
"Just what I heard," she replied, "give him orders to kill someone and he rips them up quick as look at them, ask him for a bit and he just stares at you like you've just insulted his mother or something."


	9. It Hurts

Sierra watched Jack for a while longer, her eyes were getting tired.  
  
  
"Could you watch him for me?" Sierra asked Jen, "I'm going to take a nap."  
  
  
"Sure," Jen agreed, "he's so hot, I could watch him forever... What do I look out for?"  
  
  
Sierra yawned.  
  
  
"The slightest hint of tension," she said, closing her eyes, "or if he suddenly seems to be trying to locate something he can't see... Kinda like a meerkat... "  
  
  
She drifted off and Jack felt Jen's eyes upon him, he slowly turned to look at her and she smiled a huge grin at him.  
  
  
He turned away from her once more, eyes intent on the hills and relaxing into the tree that he was leaning against.  
  
  
"How's your leg?" Jen asked him.  
  
  
Jack furrowed his brow.  
  
  
"Why do you ask?" he wanted to know.  
  
  
"It's just... I saw you limping earlier," Jen replied, "I was worried about you."  
  
  
Jack looked at her, he hadn't been aware that he'd been limping.  
  
  
"It's fine," he stated shortly.  
  
  
Jen nodded.  
  
  
"Okay," she went on, "but if you like, I can take a look at it... "  
  
  
Jack stared hard at her, as though trying to figure her out.  
  
  
"Does it still hurt?" Jen persisted.  
  
  
"A little," Jack admitted, confusion written all over his face, "I'm not used to it... "  
  
  
"So I've heard," Jen smiled at him again.  
  
  
Jack inclined his head.  
  
  
"You seem to have heard a lot about me," he said to her.  
  
  
Jen shrugged.  
  
  
"What can I say?" she chuckled softly, "I'm very nosy."  
  
  
Jack smiled at her, it wasn't something he did very often and when he caught himself; he stopped at once.  
  
  
"You should smile _more_ ," Jen told him, "it won't break your face."  
  
  
Jack allowed himself a light chuckle, shaking his head in amusement slowly. It was an alien sound to his ears, he had not heard his own laughter before - or if he had, he'd forgotten how it sounded a long time ago.  
  
  
Jen hoped she wasn't distracting him from his lookout, but she did really want to get close to Jack. He simply fascinated her, she had asked so many questions about him and now she finally had the chance to discover things herself. She shifted closer to him, placing her hand on his leg and noting the way he winced slightly.  
  
  
"Can I take a peek?" Jen asked him, concerned.  
  
  
"It's fine," Jack insisted. Jen gave it a gentle squeeze and he sucked in a sharp, audible breath.  
  
  
"Fine huh?" Jen teased him gently. She began to roll up his pant leg, Jack turned his face away towards the hills and did not protest.  
  
  
_Let her satisfy her curiosity..._  
  
  
Jen looked at his leg with disdain, it was badly bruised and looked very painful. Understandably so, he'd stepped on maybe a hundred mines or more with it. She was just as confused as him, they'd told her he couldn't be hurt and yet here was evidence that he could. She looked closer at his ankle, which was fine but slightly off colour. This told her he was healing slowly, much faster than humans though; _incredibly_ fast...  
  
  
Jack barely noticed as she started to unbutton his shirt, just out of sheer whimsy. She parted the shirt, revealing his bare chest and lightly muscled abs. Her eyes looked at him sadly, evidence of trauma and abuse were all over his body, no matter where she looked. Jack now let his gaze meet with her own, his long period of time without eating had taken a hard toll on his frequently battered body but as long as he kept feeding every so often, the bruises would eventually disappear.  
  
  
His shirt was on the grass beside them, she had laid bare the truth and she wasn't sure she was okay with it anymore.  
  
  
"Jack," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.


	10. Be Gentle With Me

When was the last time someone had actually been _gentle_ with him?  
  
  
Had he ever just been touched _softly_ before?  
  
  
Jen had no idea, all she knew was that he'd been hurt so often that he thought he was fine.  
  
  
If pain was all he'd ever felt, how could he possibly recognise it as something that wasn't supposed to occur in everyday life?  
  
  
Jack was unaware that he was frequently in pain, he'd just learned to ignore it for the most part.  
  
  
Jen reached out and let her fingertips trail lightly down his arm, he looked at her in puzzlement but said nothing as she continued; tracing her fingertips softly all over his body. She didn't know what she was doing exactly, she only knew that she wanted to show him softness.  
  
  
_Gentleness_.  
  
  
She felt she needed to show him that not everything was pain and hurt, that some things were nice and tender. She ran her hand through his hair and watched his eyes close, she smiled and noticed how he seemed far more relaxed than before. Her hands gently explored, caressing and stroking his body while he watched in apparent fascination; his eyes half closed in what she could only guess as contentedness.  
  
  
There was nothing sexual about this, it was simply a show of genuine affection and she would continue to do it for as long as he would tolerate it.  
  
  
Jack was like a cat being petted, he reclined against the tree and simply enjoyed this new sensation for a while.  
  
  
Eventually, Jen got up behind him and began to massage his shoulders.  
  
  
It was a little painful at first, Jack felt uncomfortable and squirmed a lot but soon he was relaxed again; eyes closed.  
  
  
Jen felt the tension in his shoulders slowly fade, she felt happy to be able to relieve it from him in some small way. She knew that she had to be careful, if she looked close enough; she could see the deadly spines nestled just below the surface of the skin along his backbone.  
  
  
Jack heard something escape his lips and it unnerved him, he'd never moaned in pleasure before and he suddenly snapped his eyes open.  
  
  
She felt him turning and she stopped, letting him move away from her.


	11. Innocence

He started to put his shirt back on and Jen suddenly felt guilty about her conversation with Sierra.  
  
  
"Hey, I'm sorry about what I said before," she apologised.  
  
  
Jack started to do his buttons up, looking at her curiously.  
  
  
"About what?" he asked her.  
  
  
"Like when I said I'd totally _do you_ if you asked me," Jen told him.  
  
  
Jack hesitated, she'd lost him now.  
  
  
"Do... What?" he asked her.  
  
  
Jen blushed, unsure of how to proceed.  
  
  
"Um, sleep with you... " she said quickly, searching his eyes.  
  
  
"I don't sleep," he informed her.  
  
  
Jen bit her lip, so they'd got _something_ right about him afterall...  
  
  
"Nevermind," she waved it away, "let's just say I said something inappropriate and I'm sorry, okay?"  
  
  
Jack raised a brow and shrugged.  
  
  
"Alright," he said slowly, sitting back down against the tree.  
  
  
Jen watched him in silence for a while, she still felt the desire to kiss him but knew that now was definitely not the right time.


	12. See What I See

Hours later, Sierra opened her eyes and sat up. She looked around and noticed Jack, still relaxed against the tree. Her eyes then fell upon Jen, who was curled up - _fast asleep_?!  
  
  
Sierra got up and moved closer to Jack so she could see him more clearly, it was almost daybreak but how long had he been sitting there unattended? It was a little scary, what if he'd seen or heard something and nobody was there to alert everyone?  
  
  
_Would he have woken them?_  
  
  
She didn't know.  
  
  
Jack looked over at her as she moved, but he quickly lost interest again and went back to staring out at the hills.  
  
  
She shivered with cold and sat closer to him still, this time he didn't seem to care and she was glad for the extra body warmth. Gazing out at the hills, Sierra couldn't see anything more than trees and a slight fog. She looked at his eyes and marvelled at the way they changed colour every so often, it was almost hypnotic.  
  
  
"What do you _see_?" she asked him softly.  
  
  
Jack turned his gaze to Sierra, nobody had ever asked him that before while he was on lookout.  
  
  
"I see everything," he told her quietly, "would you like to take a look?"  
  
  
Sierra looked down as Jack extended his hand towards her, he covered her eyes with his hand and whispered for her to close them.  
  
  
"See what I see," he told her softly.  
  
  
Sierra closed her eyes beneath his hand, slowly adjusting to the blurred images that shifted just behind her eyelids. She was amazed as the pictures became clearer and she saw the hills just in front of her. The trees suddenly vanished and she saw everything else that had been hidden by them, then she saw body heat images of animals underground. Zooming in, she saw a flower that had to be miles away and yet she could see every detail in perfect clarity.  
  
  
Slowly, the images blacked out and Jack took his hand away from her face. Sierra opened her eyes, blinking in the suddenly returned darkness.  
  
  
"Wow!" she breathed, her eyes wide with wonder, "that's _incredible_... "  
  
  
He offered her a small smile, then returned to watching the hills.  
  
  
Sierra had thought that it would be so boring to stare at those hills for so long, but he'd shown her there was so much more to see and she was grateful for the experience.


	13. The Meerkat Thing

"You would be great at police work," she told him thoughtfully, "you could find missing persons much faster than anyone."  
  
  
Jack was only half listening to her, something didn't quite sound right and he was trying to pick it up better by first cocking his head one way and then the other. His expression was all focus and concentration, Sierra smiled as she thought he looked like he'd lost something and was trying to find it again.  
  
  
Jen woke up a moment later and yawned lazily, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.  
  
  
"Sierra?" Jen spoke now.  
  
  
"It's about time you woke up," Sierra chided her, "you're lucky we didn't get caught sleeping on the job!"  
  
  
" _Sierra_... " Jen insisted.  
  
  
"What?" asked Sierra.  
  
  
"Isn't Jack doing like... you know? That meerkat thing?" Jen pointed out.  
  
  
" _Shit_!" Sierra cursed and jumped to her feet, rushing off to wake the others.  
  
  
Jen felt nervous flutters in her stomach as she watched everyone suddenly getting into position.  
  
  
Their Commanding Officer knelt down beside Jack but he was silent, Jen hurried off to get into her position, too.  
  
  
Nobody made a sound, all eyes were on the hills except the Commanding Officer; who stared hard at Jack and waited for his report. Everyone was tense, the silence was deafening and their nerves were all on high alert...


	14. Bloody Battle

"One tank," Jack finally spoke, his eyes now focused on one area out by the hills, "about 60 men in total, give or take... "  
  
  
The Commanding Officer nodded and returned to the waiting soldiers.  
  
  
"We can take them on," he informed everybody, "if we're smart about it. Half of you get up in the trees, the rest of you, fall back and dig yourselves in. Don't let them know your location until they're almost stepping right on top of you... "  
  
  
"Sir," came a nervous male voice, "why don't we just send Major Celliers, sir?"  
  
  
"This is not a dire situation, Forkes," the Commanding Officer grunted back, "get into position."  
  
  
"Yes sir," replied Forkes, retreating to the trees and finding one to climb.  
  
  
Jack stayed where he was for a while, until the enemy were close enough to notice him.  
  
  
They looked around warily, but saw nobody else and figured he was lost.  
  
  
As they were distractedly approaching Jack, the closest soldiers in the trees began to fire and the enemy dropped to the ground. The tank began to drive backwards, the enemy began to exchange fire with those in the trees and Jack waited patiently for a command to be given to him. His eyes were on the tank, the general belief was that it was retreating but it stopped several yards away and suddenly fired into the area.  
  
  
Bodies began to litter the ground, Jack's gaze fell upon the bleeding body of a fellow soldier and he knelt down as a hand was extended towards him.  
  
  
"Help me up," the soldier managed to choke out, his mouth full of blood which spurted when he spoke, "I can't feel my legs... "  
  
  
Jack took the guy's hand and looked down along his body, but there wasn't anything to see. The soldier was missing everything below his navel, clearly the shell from the tank had either landed on top of him - or very close to him. Either way, there wasn't anything _to_ feel. Jack returned his gaze to the soldier's face, but the wide staring eyes had glazed over. Jack let go of his hand, letting it fall beside the half body and he backed away from it. War was pretty much all he'd ever known, but that didn't mean he had to get used to it.  
  
  
Without any commands, Jack was unsure of what to do. He didn't like hurting people, war never sat well with him and the only thing he enjoyed about it was the surplus of readily available meat. He found himself almost right next to Sierra, who was firing off her rounds faster than she ever had done before.  
  
  
"Jack!" she shouted over the rain of gunfire, "the tank! _Get the tank_!"  
  
  
Jack looked at her in bewilderment, he wasn't quite sure what she meant.  
  
  
Did she want it brought to her or did she want him to understand it?  
  
  
"Why aren't you moving?!" Sierra demanded.  
  
  
"He doesn't understand the command!" Jen's voice came from some shrubs nearby, "Jack, _go get 'em_!"  
  
  
Jack understood clearly now, though he was disappointed the command had come from two people he'd started to tolerate until now.  
  
  
Jen watched him in fascination as his gaze turned towards the tank, he looked so sad in that first moment that she felt tears well up in her eyes.  
  
  
Then his face hardened as he seemed to be psyching himself up, his eyes closed and then snapped open. He began to run directly at the tank, Jack liked to run simply for the love of speed and the sense of freedom it often gave him. Most of the enemy had been either killed or captured, only the tank remained a threat now. Jack soon got inside it, muffled screams could be heard coming from within by those approaching but nobody dared look in.


	15. Angry

That night, Jack was alone at his post until the sun had set completely and everyone began to turn in and get some sleep. Sierra and Jen joined him shortly after the last rays of sunlight vanished from view, he kept his gaze straight ahead and barely acknowledged them. They were thankfully quiet, chatting among themselves rather than bothering him with their incessant banter.  
  
  
Jack looked up as Sierra approached him, taking a bite of something he'd kept from earlier. Sierra tried not to take much notice of the severed arm that Jack was holding onto, he had been taking bites from it all evening and nobody wanted to go near him; including herself. As his blue eyes met hers, she grimaced at the crunching sounds of rending flesh and the blood dripping from his lips.  
  
  
As disgusting as it was, she still found it fascinating that he could bite through bone like it was butter.  
  
  
"Why are you doing that?" she asked him. Jack chewed slowly, seeming to enjoy her obvious discomfort somewhat.  
  
  
"I'm hungry," Jack told her, "and... I'm not sharing, so don't ask."  He took another bite, a half crazed grin following while he chewed with his mouth open.  
  
  
Sierra had to walk away before she threw up, it was purely nauseating.  
  
  
Jen rubbed Sierra's back as she sat down again, looking over at Jack curiously.  
  
  
_What had gotten into him all of a sudden?_


	16. I Like You

It was a little after midnight when the severed arm had all but been devoured, Jen was certain he was taking his sweet time to avoid talking with them tonight. She waited a little while longer, then she got up and Sierra stared at her.  
  
  
"Don't bother, Jen," she sighed tiredly.  
  
  
Jen walked over to Jack and sat beside him, watching him brush his teeth with a small mug of water, a bit of toothpaste and his toothbrush. He was obviously trying to ignore her, doing his best not to look at her the whole time.  
  
  
"Jack," she finally spoke his name and he looked at her, clearly annoyed and not wanting to talk to her at all right now, "why do you push everyone away?"  
  
  
He stood up and she did too, facing him and challenging him with her eyes.  
  
  
"I like you, Jack," she told him, "I really, _really_ like you... But you have to stop making me feel like you just _don't care!_ "  
  
  
"I _don't_ care!" Jack raised his voice, causing Sierra to sit up and take notice of what was happening now.  
  
  
"Well _I do_!" Jen raised her voice right back at him.  
  
  
"Why?!" Jack demanded, throwing his hands up in exasperation, "why the fuck do you give a _damn_ about me?!"  
  
  
" _Jack!_ " Sierra warned him.  
  
  
"It's okay Sierra," Jen reassured her friend, "I've got this."  
  
  
Sierra fell silent, still watching them warily.  
  
  
"I want to get to know you better, Jack," Jen answered him, "I want to get close to you."  
  
  
Jack shook his head slowly, trying to understand possible reasons why she would ever want to get close to him. He was nothing but a weapon of war, she might as well get close to a grenade; it would probably be a lot safer.  
  
  
"Just _stay away_ from me," he told her firmly, "you'll live longer. People _die_ when I am around... "  
  
  
"People die when you're _not_ around," Jen reminded him, "Jack, you're not dangerous... _Not to me_... "  
  
  
Jack stared at her in disbelief.  
  
  
"Were your eyes _shut_ for the _whole battle_ today?" he asked her angrily.  
  
  
Jen shook her head gently.  
  
  
"No Jack," she replied, a little more softly now in an attempt to calm him, "outside of battle, you're such a lovely man and that's the Jack Celliers I want to get to know better."  
  
  
Jack had to think about that for a moment, he had managed to grasp quite a lot about the english language but being told you were two different people was very new to him.  
  
  
" _What_?" he squinted at her, unsure of her sanity.  
  
  
"Jack I want to be with you, _don't you get it?_ " Jen pressed on, "I know you're not human and somewhat dangerous but I also know you can be so much more than that... Please _try_ to understand!"  
  
  
Jack tried, he really did but he had no idea what she was trying to tell him.  
  
  
_Why didn't she just come right out and say it?_  
  
  
A soldier nearby, who had came out for a piss behind a tree, looked over at the arguing pair and smirked; deciding to add some fuel to the fire for his own amusement.  
  
  
"Hey Jack!" he called, zipping up his pants, "she just wants to have _sex_ with you!"  
  
  
Jack looked over at him, his nose wrinkled in confusion.  
  
  
"What does that even _mean_?!" he shouted, storming off into the trees to be alone.


	17. Where's Jack?

"Jack!" Jen called after him, losing sight of him in the darkness, " _Jack_?"  
  
  
But he did not answer.  
  
  
Jen sighed and swore, punching the nearest tree.  
  
  
"Thanks a _lot_ , Henry!" Sierra scolded the soldier.  
  
  
Henry shrugged.  
  
  
"No point in trying, luv!" he chuckled, "he's the three hundred and _40 year old virgin_!" He laughed a little too loudly at his own joke, then he returned to bed and left them standing there wondering what to do next.  
  
  
"We have to find him," said Sierra, "it's our job to watch him."  
  
  
"We can't leave our post!" Jen reminded her.  
  
  
"Jack _is_ our post," Sierra commented, "come on, maybe he didn't go far."  
  
  
Jen was reluctant to go into the woods, it was so dark that they could barely see a foot in front of them and Jack could see like it was daytime.  
  
  
"Maybe he'll come back on his own," Jen suggested.  
  
  
Sierra turned to look at her friend, she was clearly upset and embarrassed.  
  
  
"Alright," she said quietly, "we can wait here."  
  
  
It was dangerous, but they had been doing this without Jack before he arrived; they could do it again until he returned.  
  
  
**  
  
  
"Why does everything have to be about sex with guys?" Jen spoke after a few hours had passed by with no sign of Jack.  
  
  
Sierra shrugged.  
  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it," she replied, "Jack doesn't even know what it is, Henry was just being a jerk; you know what he's like."  
  
  
Jen nodded.  
  
  
"I guess you're right," she managed a small smile, "I just want to be close, you know?"  
  
  
"I know," Sierra nodded in understanding, "just give him time, he'll figure it out."  
  
  
Jen hoped so, she didn't have a lot of friends and none of them were men because they always mistook her wanting to be close for flirting.  
  
  
"I really hoped Jack and I would be close companions," she said, looking off into the trees where she had last seen him disappear, "we could share private jokes and visit each other after the war...  Should we tell someone he's missing?"  
  
  
Sierra nodded.  
  
  
"We really should," she agreed, but neither of them got up.


	18. Becoming Friends

Sierra fell asleep sometime later, but Jen was increasingly worried about Jack and she eventually stood up and walked slowly into the woods. She had barely taken ten paces when she found him, still sitting facing the hills and staring at them in silence.  
  
  
Jack looked around at her as she got closer to him, relief swelling her heart.  
  
  
"I'm sorry," she said softly, sitting beside him.  
  
  
Jack kept looking at her, studying her eyes and she found herself gazing into his own.  
  
  
She leaned in slowly, but he pulled back when her face got too close to his and that puzzled expression returned once again to frustrate Jen. She reached out to place her hand behind his head, then she leaned in and planted a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth; feeling him try to pull back but keeping her hand firmly in place. She drew back, then she leaned in and did it again but this time he did not pull back from her.  
  
  
After that, they sat in silence for a long time and Jen was simply glad for the time she got to spend alone with him and not have to answer questions about the fight they'd just had.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The next morning, Jen slowly opened her eyes. She found it comforting to see him still there, ever watchful. She felt safe with him, despite everything she knew about him and somehow she knew that he would not hurt her; even if he didn't know it yet.  
  
  
"Morning," Jen smiled at him.  
  
  
"Yes," Jack answered her, "it is... "  
  
  
Jen tried not to chuckle at him.  
  
  
"How does your leg feel?" Jen asked him.  
  
  
"Better," Jack replied, "it doesn't hurt anymore."  
  
  
"That's good!" Jen felt genuinely pleased for him.  
  
  
Jack looked at her now, that damn confusion still there on his face as he continued trying to figure her out.  
  
  
"Jack, do you know what friends are?" Jen questioned him.  
  
  
"Sort of," Jack shrugged.  
  
  
"Have you ever had one?" Jen asked.  
  
  
"I've never been in one place long enough," Jack replied, "why do you ask?"  
  
  
"Because _I'd_ like to be your friend, Jack," Jen answered him, "that's what I was trying to say last night but I just couldn't find the right words."  
  
  
Jack turned his gaze back out towards the hills, thinking silently about her proposal.  
  
  
Jen lay her head upon his shoulder and she smiled when he kissed the top of her head softly.  
  
  
"I don't actually _have_ a choice, do I?" he asked her and she laughed at his flat tone of voice.  
  
  
"Nope," she grinned at him.  
  
  
He looked at her and raised a brow.  
  
  
Jen stuck out her tongue and Jack made a biting motion with his jaw, she squealed and got up to run away but he grabbed her foot and she fell into a heap on the ground. She spun around and put her hands up to defend herself.  
  
  
"Jack, _Jack, no_!" she giggled as he joined her, pretending to try and bite her.


	19. Sneak Attack

A moment later she couldn't feel him on her anymore and she opened her eyes, looking up in bewilderment.  
  
  
They had been discovered missing minutes ago and Sierra had told everyone about the fight they'd had, so Jen was feared to be in danger.  
  
  
Three soldiers had dragged Jack off of Jen just now, thinking he was actually attacking her.  
  
  
Jen quickly got to her feet, shouting for them to stop but they placed something white that looked like some kind of space-age weapon to the side of Jack's head and pressed a button - " _Argh_!" Jack's knees buckled and his eyes closed as his head threw back quickly. He looked unconcious, _or was he dead_?  
  
  
"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" Jen screamed at them, "let him go! _He wasn't hurting me_!"  
  
  
"Orders are orders," said the one holding the strange weapon, "you're lucky to be alive... "  
  
  
Jen was angry that they weren't listening to her, but all she could do now was follow them back to camp as they dragged Jack with them.  
  
  
_Was he alright?  
  
  
Had they killed him?  _  
  
  
Jen couldn't stop the tears from trickling down her cheeks, it _couldn't_ end like this...


	20. I Don't Want To Go

It felt like hours to Jen as she sat by Jack's side, he was laying on the ground with several soldiers standing around him. Everyone else was getting ready to leave early, they had to get the P.O.Ws out of there as soon as possible. But it was only a few short minutes before his eyes snapped open and he sat up, seemingly fine except for an obvious headache.  
  
  
Jack put his hands to his head and shut his eyes with a painful groan, Jen looked at him with both relief and sadness.  
  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked him.  
  
  
"Yeah," Jack replied shortly.  
  
  
"What _was_ that thing?" asked Jen.  
  
  
"It emits some kind of pulse," Jack responded, slowly opening his eyes, "really knocks me around, oohh my _head_... "  
  
  
His eyes closed again and he lay back down, Jen was glad he was going to be okay but she had some worse news to tell him.  
  
  
"They're sending you back to the front lines," she said softly, "something's going on and they want you out there immediately... "  
  
  
Jack sighed.  
  
  
"Do I _have_ to go?" he asked her.  
  
  
Jen smiled a little.  
  
  
"You _know_ you do," she reminded him, then she slipped a piece of paper into his pocket, "this is my phone number and address back home, look me up when this is all over - yeah?"  She leaned down and whispered her address into his ear, in case he lost the paper somewhere out there.  
  
  
"So this is goodbye then?" Jack slowly sat up again.  
  
  
Jen nodded, studying his face and memorizing every detail she could.  
  
  
He hesitantly reached out and touched her cheek very softly with his fingertips, frowning as if trying to see if she was really there or not.  
  
  
"Jen," he spoke quietly, "I L-... "  
  
  
He was hauled to his feet in that moment and Jen watched them take him away, she was a soldier but she was still human and she couldn't keep the tears at bay. Some things were just too much and it all came crashing down at once, today was one of those days when everything she'd been bottling up inside just exploded out of her in huge sobs.  
  
  
Sierra went to her friend to comfort her, sighing sadly.  
  
  
"It was going to happen, Jen," she said, hugging her, "it was foolish of us to get attached... "  
  
  
"Did you hear?" Jen whispered, her shoulders trembling, "he said he _likes me_."  
  
  
Sierra wasn't sure that's what Jack had been about to say, but she nodded silently and hugged her friend closer. If it helped, then she wasn't about to argue.


	21. A New Threat

By afternoon, Jack was in a trench along the front lines and he wasn't looking too pleased about it. For one thing, he could walk on his own just fine without being hauled here and dragged there.  
  
  
"Why are we down _here_?" he demanded to know.  
  
  
"There's a sniper, sir," replied the closest Corporal, "he hasn't fired yet but we've seen his sights glinting in the sun."  
  
  
"It's like he's watching us," added another soldier, "but what are they looking for?"  
  
  
Jack thought he had a pretty good idea, he looked around and then quickly climbed out of the trench. He stood in full view and saw the sniper, he was behind a boulder and sure enough - he was watching the trench. However, when he saw Jack, he paused for a long moment and then scrambled off into the long grass. Jack felt someone grasp his ankle and pull him back down into the trench, Jack stood up quickly and made a fist but before he could land the punch - the Commanding Officer barked out his name.  
  
  
"Celliers!" he shouted, "over here!"  
  
  
Jack lowered his arm and walked over to the Commanding Officer, agitation clearly written in his expression.  
  
  
"Everyone _quiet_!" the order came and the soldiers all fell silent.  
  
  
Jack turned his head, all eyes were upon him as he stared hard towards the enemy lines. His body was tense, his gaze focused and concentration replaced the look of anger very quickly.  
  
  
"Report," the Commanding Officer urged him.  
  
  
Jack listened intently, sorting through the different sounds he was hearing.  
  
  
"Seven tanks," he said quietly, "heavy artillery, rocket launchers... at least five of them... Grenade launchers... At least ten of those.... 900 units and... and they're calling for an air strike to our exact location, sir."  
  
  
It was silent for a moment, then everyone started to panic and insist they retreat.  
  
  
_But why were the enemy sending so much heavy fire to just one trench?_  
  
  
Jack looked to the Commanding Officer, who was trying to calm the soldiers down.  
  
  
"Here's what's gonna happen boys!" the Commanding Officer shouted over the din, "we're gonna get outta here and Jack... "  He turned to the creature who walked among them as a man.  
  
  
Jack looked at him with a sag of his shoulders and an expression of defeat.  
  
  
"Go get 'em," came the command, "I know you can do it."  
  
  
Jack watched them abandon the trench, leaving him standing there alone. He climbed out of the trench and stared straight ahead, waiting for the enemy to get a little closer while he psyched himself up for a frenzied attack. He saw the men first, all 900 of them out in front.  
  
  
It would slow him down to get through all of them in order to reach the tanks and stuff behind them, but he was _so_ ready...


	22. It's A Trap!

The moment they saw him, the enemy soldiers ran at him and Jack waited for them. As they flooded over him, he began to attack them with claws, sharp teeth and venomous spines. He utilised every part of his body that he could in order to kill them as quickly as possible, it was going to take some time to get through them all but he didn't exactly have anything else to do today.  
  
  
He became suddenly aware of the bomber approaching, he waited until the last moment and then dropped to the ground. He curled up into a tight ball as best he could, ensuring maximum protection from the air strike but something else happened in that same moment.  
  
  
Something nobody could have ever predicted would happen...  
  
  
At the same time the strike occured, everything else fired directly at Jack. It was an ambush to destroy him, but it was realized all too late.  
  
  
Everything went white, his ears were ringing in a most deafening pitch and then it fell silent as the world went dark.  
  
  
It was over, the last desperate attempt by the enemy had cost them everything they had left.  
  
  
**  
  
  
There was unconditional surrender hours later, but _where was Jack_?  
  
  
Eventually there was a search of the huge crater that was left behind from the ambush, everything in the area had been obliterated in the explosion. The orders had been given to bring back Jack's lifeless body, or whatever was left of it.  
  
  
The next day, the searchers had all but given up hope of ever finding it. The crater was full of dust and debris, not a single arm or toe was found.


	23. It's Going To Be Okay

Just as the last few stragglers were leaving the death-hole, they heard something that made them all turn their heads.  
  
  
"Over here!" came a shout, "I've _found_ him!"  
  
  
Everyone ran back down into the crater, helping to uncover Jack's body. He was wrapped in a blanket, his clothing having been obliterated along with everything else; then lifted out onto the ground.  Medical personnel assessed him and everyone stared in silence, waiting to hear something - anything.  
  
  
"He's breathing!" came the surprise announcement, "he... he's _alive_!"  
  
  
**  
  
  
Jack was transported back home and was given a private room in a private hospital, he lay in the bed but didn't open his eyes for a long time. His body was badly bruised, nobody was allowed to visit him and he recovered a little more each day. Jack was in a lot of pain, but it was something he was quite used to now so it wasn't that big of an issue for him personally.  
  
  
**  
  
Jen was home, doing up her hair and putting on her lipstick. It was strange to be normal again, the war had ended and so there wasn't much to do anymore. She had been waiting for Jack to call her, everytime the doorbell rang she just _knew_ it was him - but it never was. She had heard that he was missing, presumed killed and it tore her heart out every single day there was no word of him.  
  
  
  
Her phone sounded off and she sighed heavily, picking it up.  
  
  
  
"Hello?" she answered it.  
  
  
  
"Jen, you'll never believe it," Sierra was on the other end, "they've found Jack!"  
  
  
  
**  
  
  
  
That evening, Jack slowly blinked his eyes open and sat up to recline against the pillows. Looking around himself, he realized he was in hospital and wearing nothing but one of their white gowns. Shifting uncomfortably, he settled in and closed his eyes for a few more minutes. It hurt to breathe, but he could deal with that; _he was alive._..  
  
  
But what would happen to him now?  
  
  
Would they go back on their word and lock him away again?  
  
  
Jack wasn't keen to think about it, his tired eyes turned to the door as it opened and he smiled.

 

"Jen... ?"

 

 

 

= THE END =


End file.
